After I got “let go” from my bread internship at my beloved alma mater, I took a position at an Italian bakery/cafe in Huntington, Long Island called “Trios”. It was owned by the Dolan Brothers. Yes, that Dolan family who control Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and the Sphere. One of the two brothers was a “Dead Head” so the music piping through the establishment was right up my alley. It was 1995 and I was going to be baking bread professionally!

I would arrive at 3:00am and finish by 11:00am. These were normal baker’s hours. I was responsible for opening the store, turning on the lights, preheating the ovens and looking at the prep list left from the day before. The head baker came in around 6:00am usually drunk from the night before. Along with his knife kit, he carried a cooler full of beer that he would sip on as he went into the large walk in refrigerator in between tasks. The smell of fresh yeast blooming around me was intoxicating, his breath was not. He was extremely grouchy and chain smoked Marlboro reds. Nevertheless he was an extremely talented baker and he took me under his bleary eyed wing.

The first part of my job was to have all of the days bread baked and on the shelves by 7:30am. This would include multiple “artisan breads” like Tuscan loafs, Ciabatta, semolina, rye, whole wheat, sour dough baguettes, French baguettes, dinner rolls, hero rolls and 2-1/2 sheet pans each of focaccia including rosemary, black olive, roasted tomatoes and plain. The dough for all of these breads would be made 1-2 days ahead in large batches. We had multiple 60qt “Hobart” mixers spinning at the same time with heavy dough hooks handling up to 80 pounds of bread dough in one run. I would spill the dough out onto stainless steel tables dusted with all purpose flour and using a scale portion the dough to the precise weight of each loaf. I would then form the dough into the desired shape and let it proof overnight. The next morning, I would pull out the loaves and let them proof again at room temperature and then start baking the bread in rotating steam injection ovens. Each shelf dedicated to a certain type of bread. The steam injection is critical in three ways. First, it allows for “oven spring” meaning the steam keeps the crust supple, allowing the dough to rapidly expand before it sets. Second, it delays crust development, leading to a thinner, crispier and more flavorful exterior. Third, and maybe the most important is it helps retain internal moisture, promoting an open, airy and tender interior crumb. The “crumb” is the pattern of holes inside a loaf of bread when it is sliced. Tight, even crumb is more desirable for sandwich loaves while open, irregular crumb is associated with artisan breads like ciabatta focaccia and sourdough.

We had digital timers one for each type of bread buzzing at just the right moment to remove the loaves. With long handled wooden bread peels we would transfer them to stainless steel rolling racks to cool. Every loaf perfectly browned, piping hot and crispy. As the customers lined up every morning, the smell of fresh bread would be permeating through the cafe, slowly but surely we would sell out before the days end.

Let the burns begin. Cutting yourself in the kitchen especially at the beginning of your career is commonplace. The sharper the knife the less it actually hurts. Cutting yourself with a large serrated knife with its jagged edge is brutal. When you slip and cut yourself while using a mandolin you will pay the price. A meat slicer like you see in a deli…omg, I never did but I used to have recurring nightmares about it. When it comes to cooking and baking burns are always lurking around the corner. What is the worst burn? Well there is no good one but there are degrees. Most baking burns tend to be on the top or bottom of your forearms. They are like battle scars. Some proud some not. Easily identifiable between chefs as they are like a tattooed bar code of valor. They rarely fade away completely.

When it comes to the burn family, a sugar or caramel burn has to take the top prize. It can bite you when you’re not looking and it sticks to your skin like napalm or a mole you would like removed from the dermatologist. The problem with burning yourself in the kitchen is that it is usually on a very exposed area of skin making it almost impossible to heal since your hands are constantly in water all of the time. Washing your hands 30-40 times a day makes it “a bitch” for healing. Maybe you have 1-2 days off not usually in a row to try and let it air out to heal or scab. But that next day back it usually takes an hour or two to open that wound back open. Sorry, I know this is gross. There is the burn when you grab an empty pan off of the stove not realizing it’s been sitting over an open flame and it sears your hand like branded cattle. There is the burn where you bang your arm down on the bottom of a deck oven (the kind you see in a pizza place) or in the same oven you hit the top of your arm. This happens when you are putting something in or taking something hot out of the oven and your distracted or rushing or worse someone is talking to you and you turn to chat and “bam” just like that your cooked. You can smear butter on it, ice it, put burn gel on it but really nothing but time heals a burn.

The worst burn I ever encountered was when I was working on the line at my first fine dining establishment. A pan-Asian restaurant in Roslyn, Long Island called “Lemongrass”. I was prepping for dinner service frying tortillas cups to be used as a vessel for a salad. You would take two slotted spoons called “spiders” and nestle the tortilla between them. Gently lower them into the 400 degree oil and hold it there for 20 seconds so it holds its shape. Then using metal tongs you turn the tortilla back and forth so it browns evenly. By the time I got to my thirtieth shell, the tongs slipped out of my hand into the fryer. Stupidly my reflexes were to reach into the oil and grab them. I know… Hard to imagine but being the good or “green” soldier that’s what I did. I nearly passed out!!! The kitchen staff came to my rescue as I shrieked loud enough for the people on the Long Island Rail Road to hear me. They laid me down and put a cold compress on my head. Put smelling salts under my nose and plunged my purple hand into a large bucket filled with ice. The pain was unimaginable but I didn’t cry, I was in shock. We discussed going to the ER and then one of the porters name “Marvin” from El Salvador came running over. He had made a concoction in a large bain-marie (a stainless steel oval container that we used to hold sauces in a double boiler for service). In his broken English and my “Spanglish” he took my arm and proceeded to cover it in this paper mache like mixture. He had whisked together all purpose flour and white vinegar to make a paste. Now sitting up covered in goop with my head between my legs and a cold compress on my neck, the chef asked, “She’ll be okay for tonight’s service, right”? Thirty minutes later, the stinging was 50% better. They smothered my arm with more of this magic mixture and then put a firm layer of plastic wrap so nothing would stick to the open wounds. Lastly, an ace bandage from my fingertips to my elbow to hold everything in place. I rested there for an hour or two and that night I returned to my position on the grill. Somehow by a miracle, I had almost no scarring. I use this magic potion to this day and whenever I do I think of Marvin.

Back to my job at “Trios”. Baking bread was just the beginning of my early morning. Next, on the list was baking oversized muffins blueberry, corn, chocolate chip, apple cinnamon and bran. Then I would make sheets of Napoleon’s, I loved this… Assembling the delicate flaky pastry with the decadent cream in between the layers. My favorite part was topping it with the vanilla and chocolate fondant and creating traditional streaks they are so famous for. I also baked cream puffs filling them with pastry cream and fried cannoli shells piping the ricotta creme filling down the middle and dipping each end into mini chocolate chips.

I really loved this job but it got the best of me. The hours were tough especially getting up in the pitch dark in the dead of winter having to warm up my car just to get the ice off of my windshield. The only one on the road but snow plows and probably a few drunk drivers. But this was the one thing I didn’t count on…allergies!!! I had really bad allergies as a kid, mostly hay fever. But, as it turned out, I was also allergic to dust and mold. This was a perfect storm. I was surrounded by flour (dust) and mold (yeast) all day long. It left me crippled with watery eyes, sore throats, endless runny noses and more tissues than I could count. Professional bread baking would not be in the cards for me. I had to walk away and I was devastated. I still continue to bake bread today but only in small batches for myself, my clients and Neil. It will always remain in my DNA.

Some breads of late… Challah, uncooked bagel dough, Margarita pizza and Kaiser rolls from ’s new book “Small-batch breads”.

“Bread is the king of the table and all else is merely the court that surrounds the king.” - Louis Bromfield

xo, Lisa

In my opinion the BLT in its simplicity is a perfect sandwich. But as you contemplate putting it together there are a lot of things to take into consideration. What kind of bread do you use and should you toast it, grill it or leave it in its pure form? What kind of tomatoes will you use and are they in season? How about the lettuce? Do you favor Romaine, iceberg, arugula or red leaf? And what about the star of it all the bacon? Do you use “Oscar Mayer”, “Nueskie’s”, applewood smoked, hickory smoked, pepper crusted or pancetta maybe? Do you go with the traditional spread like “Hellman’s” mayo or are you a dijon person? How will you decide on the ratio of ingredients? Will you go heavy on the lettuce like so many restaurants do? Damn those food costs! The combinations are endless but pretty fun to explore.

If you read my first Substack, you’ll know that I injured myself walking back from the garden to make BLT’S for myself and Parker. It’s been five weeks since my surgery and I am still recovering. I’m not cooking everyday bc it takes a lot out of me but when I do I try and make it special. This week I wanted to share with you how I made my better BLTA++. The “A” for avocado, the ++ for more…

Here is the recipe:

BLTA++

Yield = 2 sandwiches

6 slices thick-cut applewood smoked bacon, cooked to your liking and drained on paper towels

1 large avocado

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

hot sauce to taste

1/2 cup mayonnaise

14 fresh basil leaves, divided

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 large beefsteak tomato, cut into 4 1/4” slices

Maldon sea salt and freshly ground pepper

8 leaves little gem lettuce, washed and patted dry

8 oven roasted tomatoes (recipe in previous Substack)

4 slices sourdough bread, lightly toasted

In a small bowl, mash the avocado with a fork. Add the garlic, lime juice, hot sauce and salt to taste. Place plastic wrap flush over the top and set aside.

In a mini food processor, add the mayonnaise, 10 of the fresh basil leaves and the lemon juice and salt to taste. Puree into a smooth aioli and set aside.

Layer a plate with the sliced beefsteak tomatoes. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt and pepper over the top of each one. Let sit at least 5 minutes.

To assemble:

Spread the basil aioli over each of the toasted bread slices. Top with the remaining basil leaves using the aioli as a glue. Top one half of each of the bread with a layer of lettuce. Top the lettuce with two beefsteak tomatoes. Spread the avocado mixture on top of the tomatoes. Fold each slice of bacon in 1/2 and place three each on top of the avocado. Top with the oven roasted tomatoes. Cover with the second piece of bread. If you have a sturdy toothpick place one in each side of the sandwich and cut in 1/2 with a serrated knife. Serve with sliced pickles, homemade potato chips or french fries.

While I have made more BLT’S than I can count in my lifetime, I am always looking for innovative ways to improve on the original. But that’s just me, it’s pretty perfect anyway you slice it.

xo, Lisa

p.s. This sandwich may slip slide away from you but it’s worth it!

“The longest lived people on earth are not at the gym. They’re in the garden.” - Unknown

Growing up I was a picky eater. When I say picky I mean I barely ate anything. My diet consisted of orange juice, “Hawaiian Punch”, fruit, toasted bagels with butter, “Sara Lee” pound cake from the freezer, raw carrots, raw tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, pasta with butter sauce, hamburgers, hot dogs, steak, chicken breasts, white meat turkey “off the frame”, french fries, salted cashews, red shelled pistachio nuts, “Fritos”, “Chips Ahoy”, “Entenmann’s” cookies and donuts (my fav were the crumb cake) “Nilla Wafers”, “Tab”, orange “Crush” soda, “Dr. Brown’s” black cherry soda, vanilla ice cream and rainbow sherbet. Pretty lame.

Here are the foods that were off the table. Eggs, cheese, milk and almost all dairy except vanilla ice cream. No vegetables except those mentioned above. The only seafood I ate was shrimp cocktail. I wouldn’t eat pizza bc I didn’t like tomato sauce or cheese. My mother and my brother loved Italian food. When we would go to an Italian restaurant I would get a steak and a side of pasta with butter. My mom would say, “You better marry rich” bc, I always ordered the steak, prime rib or a shrimp cocktail.

This was a big deal for me as a kid and even as a teenager. I never wanted to go to other peoples homes for a meal and definitely not a sleepover. I had this phobia that my friends parents would make me eat something I didn’t like bc back then we lived in a culture of “finish your plate or your not leaving the table”. This was not the way it was at my house. My school lunches consisted of a thermos filled with chicken soup, a chocolate chip cookie and an apple. To this day, I have never had cooked eggs, tunafish from a can or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. My mother loves tunafish. Most people do. This was enemy number one for me. When my mom would open up that can of tuna the smell would make me sick. I didn’t see much difference between that can and my cat Max’s dinner. I since have sequestered Parker to having it when I am out of the house. When someone brings a tuna fish or egg salad sandwich on a plane I want to jump out the emergency exit. My mom probably ate it more often than she wanted to because my father never provided us any financial support. Classy. She would give my brother and I meat and potatoes every night and I would ask her “Why aren’t you having what we are having”? She was working three jobs and pinching pennies. My mom is and was an incredible, selfless provider.

Luckily, my friends liked coming to my house. We always had lots of goodies. Cakes, cookies, soda, candy and ice cream. Come junior high or maybe a bit before, I started cooking for my friends after school. I needed to be in control. Food control issues, for sure. But, I was good at it and I loved feeding my friends. There was one dish I would make on repeat. It was called, “Mama’s special”. I would saute ground beef with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper until brown and crispy. Then I would add a small can of “Hunts” tomato sauce. A kind of amateurish but very tasty “Bolognese”. I would boil “Minute Rice” and put the meat mixture over the rice and serve it to my friends while watching Luke and Laura on “General Hospital”. Soap operas were big back then but when I was alone I was glued to “Julia Child”, “The Galloping Gourmet”, “Great Chefs of New Orleans” and so on. My palate started to expand slowly but surely. I tried my first mushroom at 21. Sushi at 24. Brussels’ sprouts at 40. To this day, I still don’t eat eggs. But hey, I have low cholesterol. So that’s something.

I loved cooking and I wanted to pursue it as a career. My mom was not so keen on this at the time. I was studying for my SAT’S and college was the only option. I got my business degree, made great friends and learned how to get by on my own. After college, I thought I might want to pursue Law. I started commuting into NYC and working at the “American Arbitration Association” while studying for the LSTAT’S. I spent all day dealing with attorneys, judges and experts in every field trying to arrange arbitration meetings. It was extremely stressful. Everyone I spoke to seemed really unhappy and I quickly pivoted into publishing.

I got a job at “Fairchild Publications”, who published “Women’s Wear Daily” among other industry periodicals. I ended up becoming a graphic artist there for 3-4 publications. I would sit in front of a drafting board with an x-acto knife in hand, cutting and pasting page layouts all day. After a year everything changed, Adobe Illustrator came out and everything became digital on the Mac. I did this for a couple of years but knew it was not my passion.

Gotham Bar and Grill was across the street from Fairchild. My grandfather would meet me there for lunch on occasion. I was in awe of the Chef Alfred Portale. He created in my opinion “vertical food” a salad piled one leaf at time as high as the sky or a filet mignon with onion rings on top each other in order from large to small creating quite the balancing act for the waitstaff. The dining room was so elegant and I spent many days and nights there eating his food long after my time at Fairchild Publications as I moved into my first apartment in NYC on 9th street between Broadway and University Place which was right around the corner.

Still one of my favorite cookbooks…

At 31, I enrolled at “The French Culinary Institute”, now the “International Culinary Center” located in Soho. This was a second career for me. I couldn’t have been more excited. My class had about 30 students enrolled. Most of them male and more than 10 years younger than me. On day one you are assigned a partner who you will be with until you graduate. My partner was named “Roland” a very uptight German fellow who worked in restaurants for a couple of years and wasn’t lets say very warm and fuzzy. I had no experience at all. Other than cooking at home and reading every cook book I could get my hands on I was very green. I poured myself into each days curriculum. I spent every day after school practicing my knife skills repeating over and over every technique given to us. I would buy pounds of onions, carrots, potatoes and bell peppers slicing and dicing until it became second nature. I would spend hours shopping at my favorite culinary stores like, “JB Prince”, “Bowery Kitchen”, “Fishs Eddy” and “William Sonoma”.

I aced all of my exams and had found a passion for learning that never existed in me before. Roland and I became good friends and we were the two strongest students in the class. All of the teachers were French and very strict. Jacques Pepin, Alain Sailhac and Andre Soltner served as founding deans and the school was a training ground for famed chefs as David Chang, Dan Barber (the class below me) and Wylie Dufresne. Once a week we would have a demo by Jacques Pepin or Chef Sailhac and watch in awe as they wowed us with their finesse. One demo I remember fondly was when Jacques Pepin deboned an entire duck in less than 5 minutes keeping it completely intact as if he had just slipped footsie pajamas off a small child. He then proceeded to show us how to use every scrap of the bird so not to create any waste. Extra skin trimmed from the neck made into “cracklings”, bones roasted in the oven and turned into duck stock, the liver used for pate, the breasts skin skillfully browned with the perfect rare interior, the leg confit and so on. Nothing wasted, nothing discarded. In fact, our instructors would regularly check the large barrel sized bins for any trimmings that could be used in a stock or a soup. If you got caught by said chef you were immediately humiliated in front of everyone. “Every food scrap you throw in the garbage is money down the drain”!!!

Most restaurant kitchens tend to be very small unlike our schools massive rows of work tables and endless stovetops, ovens and refrigerators. One practice instilled in us on day one was to only use the space on your cutting board and a small perimeter around it. This was an excellent lesson that I still use today. It trains you to be neat and tidy to not go out of bounds interfering with the other chefs workspace around you. They didn’t want us to be spoiled by all the space we were used to. But more importantly to make a good impression once we were out in the real world where it wasn’t always so cushy. We were also given three kitchen towels at the beginning of each day. One was to be neatly folded over the string around the waist of your apron and the other two were to be used as oven mitts. Lesson number one, do not under any circumstance get your “oven mitts” wet! You learn this the hard way by picking up a screaming hot pan with a slightly damp towel and the heat immediately sears your hand sometimes so severely you can’t do anything but drop the pan on the floor. Your towels could easily be snagged by a fellow classmates as you turn your back because they accidentally wiped water off of a counter dampening their own leaving you high and dry. Very “dog eat dog”. To this day, when I am catering a job I always announce to the room, “these are my dry towels for the oven. Don’t touch them”!

I zipped around the kitchen in my chef whites, toque on my head, neckerchief choking me as I fell into the rhythm of how a kitchen brigade works. All of the stations in the kitchen had their purpose. Some more difficult than others. Our school had a restaurant and as students we were required to cook all the meals for it in our last semester. The school’s restaurant “L’Ecole” was our first real exposure to what it’s like being “on the line”. Our teachers expediting and critiquing us along the way mostly yelling… “Send that back it’s too cold”! “Your consume is cloudy”! “This steak is overdone and your carrots aren’t tender enough”! Re-fire table #2’s creme brûlée its too dark”. These were real customers spending real money and the pressure was on.

By the time we got to the midterms, half of my classmates had either dropped out or failed out. I was only one of two girls left. I loved my teachers and they loved me. I could roll with the best of them. Laughing at their crude jokes, smiling nervously when I got a slap on the butt for turning out a good dish. But back in 1995, I wasn’t one of the boys so I had to prove myself by working even harder. In general, the male instructors didn’t respect women in the kitchen like they did the men. Girls or women were meant for “Garde Manger” the cold salad station or even more common “Patissier”. As I entered my last semester, I befriended the pastry/bread teacher. She was a very tough, no nonsense, hot headed Italian instructor who everyone was terrified of. I was very interested in bread baking and she baked all the bread in the morning before class for the restaurant. I started staying after school to work with her on the formulation of doughs. I absolutely loved every minute of it. We made French baguettes, focaccia, ciabatta, dinner rolls and more.

For the finals upon graduation, there was a written exam, a menu that needed to be created with original recipes executed and photographed and bound in a formal book. Then the dreaded practical cooking exam. You picked a number out of a hat and that corresponded to when your clock started. We were all about 12-15 minutes behind each other so the judges had time to taste and judge your dishes. You had to memorize the last semesters roster of recipes and techniques for every dish. Once again you picked a piece of paper out of a hat and were told your fate. The appetizer, entree and dessert you were required to make four plates of each. All done at the exact same time. All at the right temperature (hot or cold), all perfectly cooked and plated. Because Roland and I were partners we were given the same dishes to execute. I always felt somewhat inferior to him as he spoke fluent French to the instructors and was part of the boys club. Jacque Pepin, Sylvia Weinstock (An American baker and cake decorator) Rose-Levy Beranbaum (mind you 13 award winning cookbooks) and a couple of other guest judges would give us our fate. Our midterm scores plus all of our exams up until the final would factor in if you were actually going to graduate and receive your diploma. Mine and Roland’s dishes would be presented side by side as we stood there in front of this intimating panel. Each dish critiqued out loud as they took notes and entered scores on a piece of paper with our names on it. After everyone presented their dishes, we gathered back in the kitchen, toques off, waiting and worrying. They allowed our families to fill the dining room while they announced the scores from the bottom to the top. The last two standing were Roland and myself. They announced Roland’s name and I was crushed not realizing he was in second place. I had the highest cumulative score of the class. Tears fell down my face (not what you to do in front of the “frogs”) the male instructors. Rose-Levy Beranbaum said to me, “If this is what you can put out after finishing this curriculum then the world is your oyster”! My parents took me to Bobby Flay’s restaurant “Mesa Grill” to celebrate the graduation. He was a student in the first graduating class at my school. I would come to work with him later.

After school was over you were required to do an internship. Most students would go work at the top French restaurants in the city with a solid recommendation from one of the instructors. I didn’t want to do that. Being a woman, I felt a French kitchen would hold me back and I knew I didn’t want to pursue pastry.

My pastry-bread instructor offered me an internship at the school. Coming in before school hours, I would form all of the bread, bake it off and then make the dough for the next day. At this point, they started selling bread to the public so our production for the day increased by quite a lot. This went on for probably 4 months when she asked me if I wanted to go into business with her and open a bread store. I really liked the idea of that and we started making a business plan. Everyone said that I was crazy for getting involved with her but she taught me everything I knew and I was really happy. One day Jacques Pepin came into the kitchen carrying a baguette. He had been in France for a month or two and was happy that the bread program had been expanded. In front of the two of us he said, “Who made this baguette? I just got back from Paris and it is as good as any bakery there. I stood there silent not wanting to take the credit. She said, “Lisa baked it.” He kissed me on both cheeks and said something in French and left.

I got fired the next day.

xo Lisa

“Certainly one of the important requirements for learning how to cook is that you also learn how to eat. If you don’t know how an especially fine dish is supposed to taste, how can you produce it? Just like becoming an expert in wine-you learn by drinking it, the best you can afford. You learn about great food by finding the best there is, whether simple or luxurious. Then you savor it, analyze it, and discuss it with your companions, and you compare it with other experiences”. -Julia Child

Julia Child and Jacques Pepin

I absolutely love tomatoes. I keep cherry and grape tomatoes from my garden on the counter and eat them like candy. So easy to do a walk by and pop one in your mouth.

Just like shrimp in “Forest Gump” there are endless possibilities. Make a tomato “panzanella” salad with stale crusty bread, red wine vinegar, thinly sliced red onions, good olive oil and basil. The olive oil and vinegar will soften the bread and soak up the juices of the tomatoes. Delish! Or make a “bruschetta” topping with diced tomatoes tossed with basil, garlic, good olive oil and balsamic. Toast slices of a nice French baguette, rub a garlic clove over it while they are hot and top with the tomato mixture. Tomorrow I am making a “gazpacho” and I will post that recipe.

Please don’t ever under any circumstances put your tomatoes in the fridge! It changes their texture and if they aren’t fully ripe it will halt the ripening process. Keep your tomatoes at room temperature, stem side down if possible and If they are super ripe eat them before they spoil.

If you have a surplus like so many people at this time of year you can freeze whole tomatoes. Put them on a small sheet pan or a plate. Once they are frozen, transfer them to a bag and keep it up to 3 months. This will change the texture making them only usable for soups or sauces. Don’t add them to a salad.

Okay, enough with the lecture.

This recipe produces a rich, concentrated tomato flavor that is great over any protein. Use them in a salad, on a sandwich or just eat them over the sink with a fork when nobody is looking.

SLOW OVEN ROASTED TOMATOES

10 medium ripe beefsteak or Roma tomatoes

1/4-1/2 cup good extra virgin olive oil

4-6 garlic cloves, sliced or smashed

1 tablespoon kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

fresh thyme, oregano or rosemary (optional)

Heat the oven to 300 degrees.

Core the tomatoes and slice them into 1/2” slices. Cover a sheet pan with foil and a piece of parchment paper. This will allow you to remove them easily when finished and make clean up a snap. Drizzle 1/2 of the olive oil over the pan. Lay the tomato slices on top in a single file. You can overlap a bit if necessary. Drizzle the remaining oil over the tomatoes. Scatter the garlic and sprinkle the salt, pepper and herbs over the top.

Roast the tomatoes for 3-4 hours until they have collapsed and are a deep dark color red and slightly shriveled. They should still be slightly juicy in the center. Let cool.

Store them in a non metallic container covered with olive oil for up to a week.

“A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins.”

xo Lisa

I’m still working through the generous tomato delivery from my brother in law’s garden. They are continuing to ripen on the counter and yesterday I made two recipes with them. I still have about 20 left so more to come. Stay tuned.

This recipe is pretty easy because once you get all of your ingredients prepped it’s simply time, patience and stirring. The results are delicious and it can used in so many applications. It pairs well with fish, chicken, pork, as a condiment over or under any vegetables. I like it tossed in with warm pasta, as a substitute for ketchup on a juicy burger or on top of avocado toast. It lasts at least a week in the refrigerator.

Tomato Bacon Jam

Yield: approximately 1 cup

1/4# thick cut bacon (I like applewood or hickory smoked)

1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced

2/3 cup very ripe tomatoes, cored, skin on and roughly chopped

3 small garlic cloves, smashed

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

freshly ground black pepper

generous pinch of red chili flakes

In a 4-quart saucepan cook the bacon over medium heat until browned about 5-7 minutes. Add the onions and garlic stirring occasionally until the onions are softened. Reduce the heat to low and add the remaining ingredients. Simmer for one hour stirring every 10 minutes until sauce is reduced to a jammy consistency. Let cool. Using an immersion blender puree the jam leaving a bit of texture. I like it spreadable but a little chunky.

LETS TALK ABOUT SCALLOPS…

I had my first scallops when I spent many summers in Nantucket, MA. They fish them right out of the water there and when I say they, I mean “scallopers”. Pronouncing scallopers with a heavy, thick Massachusetts accent. These fisherman mean business. If you have the chance to meet one of them and you can take a spin on their boat you might have the pleasure of eating one or more freshly plucked and shucked out of the Atlantic ocean. Glistening, cold, firm and so, so very sweet.

When buying scallops, I only choose “dry” vs. “wet” scallops from a proper fish market that are chemical-free. “Wet” scallops are more readily available and are treated with phosphates. This helps them absorb and retain water. This is not ideal as you’re paying more on the scale for the extra weight. It also helps them have a longer shelf life (no thanks). The wet ones are easy to spot in the seafood case because they are sitting in a milky liquid. This makes it almost impossible to get a good sear on them. If you’re unsure, just ask the person behind the fish counter if they are “wet” or “dry”. If they shrug their shoulders, run don’t walk!

I prefer them perfectly seared with a deep golden crust and a cool, slightly raw center. I love them at a sushi restaurant in a roll or thinly sliced “Italian” style as a crudo.

Perfectly Seared Scallops

8-10 large “dry” sea scallops

1-2 tablespoons avocado or extra virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional)

Remove the scallops from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. Do not wash them. Pat them with paper towels until very dry. Remove the side muscle if it’s still attached and discard. Its a small, tough strip on the side of the scallop. Season both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Heat a very large cast iron pan or stainless steel pan over medium high heat until just smoking. If you use a non-stick pan, you won’t get a nice crust on the scallops. Add the oil and gently place the scallops as far apart from each other as possible so they don’t create steam. Cook them on the first side for 1-1/2-2 minutes until you see a golden-brown crust form. Flip them only once and cook the second side for only 1-2 minutes. When I flip them, I try and place them in an unused spot in the pan for achieving the maximum sear on the second side. Add the butter if using during the last 30 seconds. Remove, let sit for 2-3 minutes before slicing.

Serve the scallops over the tomato bacon jam and a side of jasmine rice. Let me know what you use your jam on and if you can achieve a nice sear on your scallops.

“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”

- Jacques Yves Cousteau

xo Lisa

Serves 2

1 sushi grade Yellowfin tuna steak, 1” thick

kosher salt

2 tablespoons avocado oil

Lemon-pepper seasoning for garnish

Let the tuna sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Season all side of the fish with salt. Preheat a non-stick saute pan over very high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the oil to the pan and sear the tuna for 1 minute. Turn and repeat on the second side. Using tongs, tip the tuna on the remaining sides and sear each side for 15 seconds. Remove from the pan and let rest for 5 minutes. With a very sharp knife slice the tuna against the grain to desired thickness.

For the sauce/dressing:

1/2 cup freshly squeezed tangerine juice

1/4 cup ponzu sauce

2 tablespoons sweetened rice wine vinegar

1-1/2 teaspoons light brown sugar

Combine the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn the heat to low and let simmer until reduced by half and the sauce is slightly syrupy. Let cool.

For the salad:

1 English cucumber, cut into 1/2” pieces

1 ripe avocado, cut into cubes

1 ripe tangerine, peeled and separated into wedges

In a bowl add the salad ingredients and toss with sauce reserving 2-3 tablespoons. Plate the veggies and top each one with the tuna. Drizzle the remaining sauce over the tuna pieces. Garnish with lemon-pepper seasoning. Enjoy!

“The beauty of exceptional tuna is in its simplicity: pristine fish, precise knife work, and nothing to hide behind.”

xo Lisa

As I sit/lay here healing, I am trying to keep myself busy. Reading, writing, playing guitar, practicing watercolor and of course cooking. Cooking is the most challenging but I can’t sit idle. I’m trying. So I sit at the center island and prep and then I scooter around the kitchen trying to gather everything I need at the stove top. It’s hard to keep maneuvering my scooter back and forth. Kind of like parallel parking all day long. So I find its safer to go round and round in circles and circles and circles. It’s pretty exhausting. But the results are delicious.

Here is what I made Parker and I yesterday…

MEXI-STYLE STEAK AND VEGGIES

1-16oz sirloin steak, 1-1/2” thick

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large portobello mushroom, stem removed and cut into 1/2” cubes

1 large shallot, peeled and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon quality sherry vinegar

1 strip of thick cut applewood bacon, cut into 1/2” pieces

1 can black beans, rinsed

4-5 cloves garlic, chopped

1 red chili pepper, seeds removed and sliced on the bias

1 Serrano chili pepper, seeds removed and sliced on the bias

1 lemon drop pepper, seeds removed and sliced on the bias

1 ear of corn, shucked

2 small tomatoes, cored and cut into a rough chop

1/2 cup stock, divided (I used chicken)

Juice and zest of one orange , separated

1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, chopped

Maldon Sea Salt

lime garnish

Take the steak out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Dry the steak with paper towels. Place the meat on a wire rack (if possible) and season both sides generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Heat a 8”non-stick saute pan over low heat and add the bacon. Render the fat until bacon is crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside on a paper towel. Turn the heat up to medium and add the black beans to the bacon fat and let cook for 5 minutes.

Heat a 10-12” cast iron pan over high heat until very hot. When the pan starts to smoke slightly add the olive oil and the steak. I like to use a cast iron press so you get a nice sear on the meat. Leave the steak there without moving it for 3-4 minutes. Flip the steak and sear for another 3 minutes. For medium rare, I remove the steak at 130 degrees. Using a meat thermometer is ideal but I usually go with the touch method. I know the feel of rare, medium rare, medium etc. Parker can’t get his head around that. Move the steak to wire rack or plate to rest for at least 10-15 minutes. If you want to keep it warm you can tent foil loosely over top.

Wipe out the excess oil in the cast iron pan and lower the temperature to medium. Add the mushrooms and let sit for 3-4 minutes without moving them. Add the shallots to the pan and saute until golden brown. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper. When the mushrooms are soft and the moisture has reduced add 1/2 of the stock and the sherry vinegar. Remove the pan from the heat and let sit while you cut the steak.

Back to the beans, add the garlic and peppers and a touch of extra virgin olive oil if the pan seems dry. Saute the mixture until the garlic is crispy. Add the corn, tomatoes and some freshly ground black pepper. Add the remaining stock, the orange juice and zest. Reduce the liquid by half. Add the parsley and reserved bacon. Stir to combine.

Remove the fat cap from the steak and slice it against the grain. Plate the black bean mixture and top with the sliced steak. Sprinkle the Maldon sea salt over steak. Top with the mushrooms and garnish with more parsley and a lime.

Sometimes it pays to go round in circles.

“A great steak needs little more than a hot pan, good salt and patience”

xo Lisa

“Bunny man”, New Orleans Hotel, 1/2025

I recently discovered an app called “CookShelf”. It’s a digital search engine for your physical cookbooks. You input the cookbooks you own and it lets you scan across your entire collection by cuisine, recipe, ingredient or dish. So if you have 50 cookbooks and you type in “shrimp” it will bring up every recipe in your library that has shrimp in it. My mind was blown!!! It gives you the book title, page number and ingredient list. For me this is so useful. When I am cooking for a client and they request “pork tenderloin” or I have an excess of tomatoes (now) I can get ideas. Sometimes when your brain shuts off you need a little inspiration, I think we all do. Note: it doesn’t give you the instructions. The philosophy being in my opinion that you use it as a tool for your own collection and not a substitute for buying a cookbook. As a professional chef who is cooking at other peoples home often or creating menus and shopping lists on the fly it’s super convenient to be able to access my library.

Most of my cookbook library 7/2026

I have been a collector of cook books my whole life. The first one I remember purchasing is the “Moosewood Cookbook” by @Mollie Katzen. It came out in 1985 and I still have the paper bound, beat up bible, from the famous mostly vegetarian and ethnic heavy restaurant. When I was living in NYC, one of my favorite pastimes was heading to “Barnes & Nobel” in Union Square. I would take the escalator up to the very extensive cookbook section and gather 8-10 books. I would plop down on the floor and lose myself for an hour or two. Then I would decide which ones I would want to add to my collection. Mind you, I wasn’t the only one with this routine. It’s more fun than heading to the library and pretty fun people watching. I especially enjoyed it during the summer months when the humidity was so thick you could cut it with a knife. The book store, the movie theaters and “Sephora” were and still are the best places to beat the heat in the big apple.

In this digital age, I still prefer turning the page of “The New York Times” and “The New York Post”. You can take the girl out of New York, but you can’t take the New York out of the girl. I feel the same about novels and cookbooks. I like to feel the grade of the paper, the smell of a new book and the sound of that first crack of the binder. I love to read the introductions, head notes above the recipes and being able to earmark the recipes that speak to me. I feel the same way about record albums. I loved reading the liner notes. Its all a dying art. Call me sentimental. Maybe I should be visiting the “self help” section of B&N. On a side note, if you’re a real cookbook fan take a trip to the Upper East Side of Manhattan and visit “Kitchen Arts & Letters”. A small but mighty independent book store devoted almost entirely to food! It opened in 1983 and has more than 12,000 titles. They also specialize in rare and out-of-print books.

https://www.kitchenartsandletters.com

Art by Harland Miller, Gallery unknown, 3/2016

Whenever I am in a new city or country, I always google bookstores and try and pop in to discover a cookbook that may be hard to find elsewhere.

“Alta Acqua Liberia” Bookstore, Venice, Italy 10/2022

Restaurant in Bastille-Paris, France 2/2024

Before I went in for surgery, I took screen shots of my bookshelf. I am now spending a couple of minutes a day cataloging them. So far I have indexed 289 books! It’s like paying a quick visit to a friend. Some who you saw yesterday and some years ago. Either way, I’m having fun. xo Lisa

A Hardy Boy reading “The mystery of cabin island” by Leslie McFarlane Montecito, CA 9/2020

“Books are a uniquely portable magic.” - Stephen King

All photos by Lisa Schoen except self portrait by Parker Stevenson

My brother in law is also a passionate gardener. Last week he stopped by with two bags of the most beautiful vine ripened tomatoes. As I spilled them out onto the counter the sheer number was slightly overwhelming. He was going out of town so I mentioned I would do something with them so they didn’t go to waste. Or worse get eaten by vermin. Perfectly shaped, vines intact and still warm from the sun I pulled up a stool and started to separate them into categories. First ripeness, next by shape and lastly by size. I started counting 2, 4, 6, 8… and so on. He had delivered 112 tomatoes! What’s a girl to do? If I wasn’t laid up, I may have put them out on a farm stand to share them with the neighbors. I took 50 of the most ripe ones and had Parker gently wash them. If I was going full boar, I would have slit a small “x on the top and bottom of each one. Brought a large pot of water to a boil. Dropped them in for 30 seconds and then with a large slotted spoon placed them in an ice bath. This is a classic method to remove the skin more easily. After that, I would have cut them in 1/2, removed the seeds and then chopped them. In my current condition I didn’t have the band width to do that. In addition I didn’t have a pot large enough to handle the yield of the water to tomato ratio unless I did it in multiple batches. Lastly, I would have needed tons more ice than the freezer could put out. I’m not at home so I really have to rethink how I am managing in the kitchen. Anyway that all sounds exhausting, doesn’t it? So, instead I sat on a chair, foot on another elevated above my heart and started coring them one by one. Next I cut them with a serrated knife into 1/4’s or 1/8’s depending on the size. There are so many ways to “skin a cat as they say”. For this version of tomato sauce, I left the skins on and seeds intact which is not a bad thing. If the tomatoes are very ripe (they were) the skins aren’t that tough. The skins adds fiber and body to the sauce and the seeds add flavor and acidity. So, why not make your life easy!

Here’s the recipe:

RUSTIC TOMATO SAUCE

Yield: approximately 6 quarts

6 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

10 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

8 slices applewood smoked bacon, roughly chopped

2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

4 medium carrots, unpeeled and cut into 1/2” pieces

4 ribs celery, cut into 1/2” pieces

1-1/2 tablespoons kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)

2 cups dry red wine (I used Pinot Noir)

50 ripe beefsteak tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped (approximately 20 cups)

3 cups beef bone broth

1 tablespoon high quality sherry vinegar

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup fresh basil, stems included

In a 12-quart stock pot over low heat, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the garlic. Toast the garlic until it just turns blonde and remove with a slotted spoon and reserve on a paper towel. Turn up the heat to medium and add the bacon. Using a wooden spoon slowly render the fat until the bacon is just starting to crisp. Add the onions, carrots and celery stirring occasionally until the vegetables soften (about 5-7 minutes). Add the salt, pepper and chili flakes. Stir to combine and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Stir in the red wine and let the liquid reduce by half. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the tomatoes, crispy garlic and beef broth. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture up to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook gently for 2-3 hours (more if you have the time). Stir every 20 minutes making sure to scrape the bottom to prevent sticking. Add the sherry vinegar, butter and basil. Stir until the butter has dissolved. The sauce can be served as is but I like to use an immersion blender to puree it. Chef’s choice. Check the sauce for seasoning adding more salt, pepper and chili flakes as desired.

xo Lisa

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” - Audrey Hepburn

We are so lucky in California to have such incredible produce at our fingertips. Walk down any given block and you can find a variety of trees producing avocados, figs, pomegranates, lemons, limes, oranges, blood oranges, grapefruits and kumquats.

Yesterday for the first time since my surgery, I ventured out of my bubble to the local farmers market. Normally, I go once a week. The selection is endless and It’s nice to support the local farmers even if it’s just with a smile and a wave. I find it very relaxing and it helps keep me up on what is in season.

On my scooter, I wheeled slowly past the numerous stands of berries, stone fruits, breads, dips, fresh pressed juices, cheeses and flowers. The tables carpeted with fresh artichokes, broccoli, onions, peppers, carrots, lettuce and herbs are a rainbow of delight for the senses. I try and “eat the rainbow” as much as possible and with the bounty available in California it makes it pretty easy. It was a little intimidating being out and about but overall people were pretty respectful when they saw me coming. I have an old school bell on my scooter but I forgot to use it. Next time.

I bought a gorgeous piece of sushi grade yellowfin tuna from the local fish monger. I couldn’t wait to home to get my hands on it. I decided to make a tuna tartare stack. I didn’t have a metal ring to form the stack and these days for some reason you can’t take the bottom off of a tunafish can to create one. This is an old school trick when you are in a pinch. You remove both sides of a can, sterilize it and you’re good to go. Instead, I cut the bottom off of a plastic quart container and Voila! we were in business.

I gathered all my mise en place (the French term for “put in place”) and saddled up to the counter. The tuna was dark ruby red with a firm texture and shimmered in the sun from the kitchen window. I grabbed my very sharp Global knife and slowly sliced it into shingles. Stacking them like a deck of cards, I cut them into a perfect brunoise. Knife skills make me so happy. I was professionally trained in cooking. But after years of repetitive slicing and dicing in restaurants that’s when it becomes second nature. Imagine having the head chef drop a 25# case of plum tomatoes in front of you and asks (tells) you to turn it into tomato concasse for today’s prep. Score each tomato with a small “x” on the bottom. Carry the tomatoes over to the commercial stove top. Blanch them in boiling water for 15-30 seconds. Transfer with a slotted spoon into a bucket of ice water. Carry that heavy bucket back to your station. Drain, peel, cut in half, remove the seeds and dice into small and very even cubes. Let me tell you this task is daunting, time consuming, and painful due to the acid of the tomatoes seeping into any nicks or scrapes you may have on your hands from the other countless chopping you have done that week. Talk about weeding out the weaklings. I rather liked these tasks at the beginning bc your mind could wander while you chat with your fellow kitchen staff. It does get old but hopefully you have paid your dues and your knife skills have become second nature and you will move up to more exciting but not necessarily less demanding work. When I started freelancing as a food stylist for the Television Food Network (more on that later!!!) I realized that my French Culinary Institute training and restaurant experience in fine dining would pay off. For television when you are prepping a vegetable such as a red bell pepper it has to be perfect. I mean HIGH DEF perfect! The audience has no idea the time and effort that goes into the making of a cooking show.

Okay, back to the task at hand. I placed the cut tuna in a bowl and nested it over another bowl of ice. Set it in the fridge to keep it as cold as possible. I made a quick guacamole with 2 perfectly ripe avocados. In a bowl, I mashed the avocados with the back of a fork. Added the juice of one lime, 1/2 a tablespoon of chopped white onion, a couple dashes of Cholula hot sauce and a drizzle of avocado oil. On my cutting board, I took 2 small cloves of garlic and smashed them with the back of my knife. Sprinkled 1 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt over the garlic and started to chop using the salt as an abrasive. If you carefully turn your knife on its side and press it over the mixture flush with the cutting board you can create a cohesive paste really quickly.

Let’s talk about kosher salt for a minute. The two most common brands are Diamond Crystal and Morton. They both behave very differently in the kitchen. Diamond Crystal is light, hollow and flaky whereas Morton is dense and more compact. Diamond Crystal is easy to grab a pinch and it distributes evenly when seasoning your food especially meats and vegetables. Morton delivers more salt per pinch making it less forgiving. This makes Morton more preferable for brining, curing or even sprinkling over ice to keep it from melting. I never stray from Diamond Crystal. It’s what I am used to so it allows my food to be more consistent. When I am cooking outside of my home for a client or even on vacation I always bring a container of Diamond Crystal kosher salt (Mom, please don’t throw it out!) and a smaller container of Maldon sea salt my favorite finishing salt. The salt hails from Maldon a historic market town in Essex, England known for its scenic waterfront. Its pyramid-shaped crystals, delicate in texture with a pleasant crunch is prized by chefs. I love using it on everything savory and occasionally on top of a finished sweet treat like chocolate chip cookies.

Back to the stack…

I added the garlic-salt spread to the avocado mixture and covered with a piece of Stretch-Tite wrap flush over the guacamole and into the fridge it went. Stretch-Tite clings exceptionally well to glass, metal, ceramic and plastic making it far superior to standard brands. I highly recommend switching to this brand. If you do, note that the blade is extremely sharp. They provide a plastic safety cover inside the roll itself. Carefully place it on the blade and try it out. You will see what I mean. There is no contest.

I cut an English cucumber into the smallest dice (brunoise) and thinly sliced paper thin circles of a Serrano pepper from my garden. For texture, I sliced a shallot into the finest julienne. Patted them dry with paper towels and slowly fried them over very low heat in avocado oil until just golden brown. This happens very quickly so keep watch! Drain on a fresh paper towel and lightly season with Maldon salt and or sesame seeds. In a small bowl, I added 3 tablespoons of Ponzu sauce, 1 tablespoon of seasoned rice wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon light sesame oil and pinch of red chili flakes.

On a plate, I began by laying down my make shift plastic mold. I added a generous amount of the guacamole and using an off-set spatula or a spoon I spread it evenly into a nice layer about 1/2” thick. Next, I combined the cucumber with the tuna and added the ponzu mixture a little at a time not to overdue it (don’t do this step in advance or the tuna will turn brown and start to cook from the acid like a ceviche). Top with the desired amount of tuna and spread to cover the guacamole. Lift off the ring to display a beautiful tower of deliciousnesses Garnish with the Serrano peppers and a nice haystack of the shallots.

Enjoy immediately. Repeat as necessary. xo Lisa

“No one is born a great cook, one learns by doing” - Julia Child

Photo credits: Parker Stevenson

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Diamond-Crystal-Kosher-Salt-ndash-Full-Flavor-No-Additives-and-Less-Sodium-Pure-and-Natural-Since-1886-3-Pound-Home-Chef-Packaging/3534241756?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=2010&wmlspartner=wlpa&cn=FY25-ENTP-PMAX_cnv_dps_dsn_dis_ad_entp_e_n&gclsrc=aw.ds&adid=222222222973534241756_2010_0000000000_21407473164&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=&wl4=&wl5=9031176&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=113134869&wl11=online&wl12=3534241756_2010&veh=sem&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21690411341&gbraid=0AAAAADmfBIpRBXzbe6mpszw1DlVgKzKQJ&gclid=CjwKCAjwvsvTBhBaEiwAmf-3npX5EkFUIF3smDd5DZ5RxJ8EjCRFW-AWKah39QPIXU0CTI-Wt9R7nRoCSicQAvD_BwE&sid=5c61abdd-30b5-4ba6-92db-f390a4b0241a

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Stretch-Tite-250-Square-Feet-Premium-Plastic-Food-Wrap-1-roll/522176783?classType=REGULAR&from=%2Fsearch&sid=973ce90d-df9d-4616-b6be-8448d47c2c13

Yesterday was Jerry Garcia’s birthday. I wanted to write about it but the day got away from me. I am a “DEADHEAD”. There I said it. I have seen over 200 shows. Some people love them and some people don’t. I don’t think there are a lot of people in the middle. Wherever you stand, I think the people in the middle never gave them a chance. They are not just a band. They are a religion. I started listening to them in the ninth grade. I still listen to them today. I was raised in a Jewish home and I never really connected to it one way or another. Not in a way that moved me. My brother on the other hand, had a bar mitzvah and embraced his faith. Don’t get me wrong, I am proud to be Jewish. I just never knew what to do with it. Maybe I am agnostic. It doesn’t matter, I’m not here to talk about religion in a way to take sides or make judgements.

My mother played a lot of vinyl. I still have her albums. She was listening on repeat to The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Barry White, Bob Dylan, Barbara Streisand, Neil Diamond, The Moody Blues and The Rolling Stones. My mom was and still is very cool. I remember “Nights of White Satin” and “Like a Rolling Stone” on repeat. She took my brother and I to our first concert it was John Denver at Madison Square Garden sometime is the early 70’s. My second concert was Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” tour at the Boston Garden in 1976. I was ten!!! At the time my uncle was his manager along with repping Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne. We went back stage after the show and I remember thinking he seems very tired. I think he was super “high”. I also got to see the “No Nukes” concert at MSG in 1979 in response to the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station accident earlier that year. The lineup included: Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Crosby, Stills and Nash, The Doobie Brothers, Peter Tosh and Chaka Khan. I was hooked.

My brother was a fan of music but not like me. He was more interested in “Mad” magazine, comic books, paper routes and coins. That morphed into his love for finance, real estate and “The Wall Street Journal”.

In high school, I was more concerned with music than I was with my studies. My brother was four years older than me and was always trying to motivate me to be more studious. He never understood the Grateful Dead. He didn’t like the association they had with drugs and didn’t really relate to the hippie type. Well… I was a hippie and I still am. But it wasn’t about the drugs it was about the music. It was also about the community.

I had a very large friend group in high school and college and we all loved the Grateful Dead. I guess we found each other. We loved tons of other music, Van Morrison, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Doors, Neil Young, Billy Joel and so many more. But there was something about the DEAD that was different. I saw them often. They toured constantly. The tickets were cheap and every single one of their shows were different. They didn’t need to go to the studio other than to record an album because the road was their practice space. The community surrounding this band is so dedicated. Other bands have followed in their footsteps using that model.

All of those years seeing them live was a meeting place for myself and friends to unite. We sang the songs together, we danced, we kissed and we felt safe. There really is nothing closer to religion for me than the Grateful Dead. 200 shows… I remember the day that Jerry died, my mother and I were in the car going to the beach and they announced it on the radio. I was heartbroken.

This may be controversial but in my opinion there are Jerry people and Bobby people. They switched off on lead vocals. Now I love all of the Grateful Dead but I am 100 percent a “Jerry Girl”. When I am down, my poor husband who never liked the band puts the Jerry Garcia station on Pandora. He has come to be able to say, “this is Jerry right?” I am proud. I have dragged him to shows and it’s funny bc he gets recognized at these shows more than anywhere. It’s usually a big burly Harley Davidson guy going, “Holy Shit it’s you”!!!! Man I loved you on “The Hardy Boys” or “Baywatch”. It’s very sweet. I tell him, see these are your people.

There are so many things I love about NYC. I spent most of my life there. The empire state building changes colors almost every night depending on what’s happening in the world. It could be the Knicks and the lights glow orange and blue. Or the Yankees and they change it to blue and white or Jerry Garcia’s birthday and its tie-dye. If you know you know.

Well my brother did something for me I will never forget. Back in the early nineties THE DEAD used to play MSG for 6 nights in September during the Jewish holidays. I would try and go to at least 3-4 nights. As I said they played a different show every night. All my friends from the tri-state area and beyond would gather. I was living at home and could easily take the Long Island Rail Road straight into Penn Station. Madison Square Garden is literally above it. My mother was livid because it was the Jewish holidays. I told her the two drummers are Jewish it’s fine. Anyway, the last time they did the run in 1994 they displayed outside a giant inflatable dancing bear wearing a tie-dye T-shirt. The dancing bears originated from the artwork of Bob Thomas. At the time my brother was commuting from Great Neck our home town to Penn Station while working on Wall Street. I remember him going, “Ugh, the Dead are in town it’s so annoying”. “All of the barefoot hippies smelling like patchouli”. It hurt my feelings that he was so judgmental. One night during that tour he came home from work and knocked on my bedroom door. He said I have a present for you. He handed me a piece of the tie-dye shirt from the bear. Someone had climbed above the entrance to Penn Station where the bear was floating and started tearing the bear’s shirt off. The fans were going crazy. My brother stood there in his corporate suit and brief case and said “I need a piece for my sister, she’s a huge DEAD HEAD”. At that moment, I knew my brother loved me no matter what. It wasn’t his religion but it was mine. This is the last picture I have of him. He passed the next year. xo

“We’re like licorice. Not everybody likes licorice, but the people who like licorice really like licorice.”

-Jerry Garcia

So today we had Parker’s brother Hutch and wife Becky over. Super creative folks. Hutch in the movie biz, major foodie and wine connoisseur. Becky is a photographer, horse wrangler and interior designer. Her ascetic is unbelievable. Anyway, they came by for wine and snacks. I haven’t cooked since my surgery. But today, I put together a small feast prosciutto and cantaloupe from my garden, Parmigiana Reggiano, balsamic syrup, Marcona almonds, ryes crisps from Trader Joes, hummus jazzed up, etc. A lovely feast with wine and great conversation. So b/c I can’t stay out of the kitchen, I decided I would make homemade potato chips. Parker looked at me and said you are out of your mind. On my trusty scooter, I used a mandolin and sliced the Idaho potatoes paper thin. Rinsed them in cold water to remove the starch over and over till the water became clear. Layered them out on kitchen towel in single file to dry. A lot of work yes. But my French culinary training kicks back in on a regular basis. Heated a combination of EVO, canola oil in a large stock pot and fried those babies up. Hit them with salt and added them to the spread. It felt good, really good. Cooking is my love language. My foot hurts but actually my knee is really in pain from zipping around on the scooter. So, I am icing them both. Anyway, I wanted to get back in the kitchen and I did it. Crunchy and just salty enough to make you want a bit more wine. It was a really nice night. Small steps with no weight on my foot. Full moon and life goes on. xo

“Good food is the fountain of true happiness” - Auguste Escoffier

Twenty seven years ago, I lost my older brother Michael. It was sudden and it shattered my world forever.

It’s 5 am and I just woke up haunted by the news of yesterday. I know I am not alone in the utter sadness I feel with the loss of this beautiful songwriter, poet and man.

I first discovered him like so many when I saw the movie “Once”. Released in 2006 it’s a modern-day musical about a busker and an immigrant and their eventful week in Dublin, as they write, rehearse and record songs that tell their love story. It had a profound effect on me. The one scene that stands out in my mind is when his band goes to the recording studio and their time is limited, their funds are limited and they struggle to find their way. It takes a quiet moment for everything to change. The soundboard operators reaction is so moving. It’s early morning and they end up on the beach celebrating their accomplishments. If you haven’t seen it you’re missing out. The movie is a work of art, the soundtrack is perfection. I’ve listened to it countless times and it always cuts deep. I had the privilege of seeing the show on Broadway with my husband. He didn’t know the story or the music. He fell in love with it immediately.

I’ve seen Glen play live many times. Every performance beautiful. I’ve also seen him play with Eddie Vedder many times. They were magical together. A brotherhood. It’s hard to take your eyes off of this man no matter who he’s on stage with. When Eddie Vedder formed the band “The Earthlings”, I had the privilege of going to the listening party at the “Henson Studios” where they filmed “We are the World” in Los Angeles. Eddie and Andrew Watt (producer, writer, musician and back up vocals on the album) led the small gathering. Maybe there was 30 people sitting in a semi circle listening to the album play in its entirety. Ed ran around the room serving shots of tequila to everyone. It was a once in a lifetime experience.

Following up the release of the album, the band played a few select cities. Parker and I saw them perform at the “YouTube” theatre in Los Angeles. We had second row directly in front of Glen.

Music and food are two of the most important parts of my DNA. Memorizing lyrics have always come easy to me. When I’m happy I listen to music and when I’m sad it soothes me. When I think of my brother, I listen to Billy Joel or Joe Jackson’s “Look Sharp”. When I’m cooking it’s always in the background. Music evokes memories that can transport to another place and time. I thought I would be seeing Glen at the Ohana fest this year not bc he’s listed on the line up but bc he’s always there. I know he will be there in spirit.

My mother has always said to me “it takes one second to change your life”. Sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. She’s right.

“Only the good die young…” Billy Joel

GLEN HANSARD - 1970-2026

Photo by Stephan Vanfleteren

Yesterday was a good day. I’m feeling a little bit more like myself. I’ve stopped taking the heavy pain medication which is a very good thing. Stella who is helping me with my garden informed me that my cantaloupes were ready to harvest. I gave her the “green thumbs up” and she handed them off to my other trusty gardener Kate. Kate is also helping tend to my garden and jumped in her car with her lovely husband Evan and drove 1 hour each way to deliver my melons, homemade chicken soup (delish), some flat leaf parsley and a couple of my ripe tomatoes. I wish kindness was more contagious. I cannot thank these ladies and gents enough!

I met Parker in the winter of 2012 in Venice, CA and we started dating right away. We eloped September 29, 2018 at Demetria Estate Vineyard in Los Olivos, CA. Due to multiple unforeseen circumstances our honeymoon was delayed until October 2022. We chose to celebrate in Italy and it was glorious.

As I sit here passing the time, I’m dreaming of my time in Italy with Parker where we would stroll the cobblestone streets of Bologna. We started there on our honeymoon and returned years later so I could attend the professional pasta making course at “VSB Bologna” founded by Maestra Allessandra Spisni. They teach you the art of “Sfoglia a Mattarello” which is basically rolling out pasta by hand with a Mattarello (a very long thin rolling pin). This is where Evan Funke the chef who owns, “Felix Trattoria”, “Mother Wolf” and “Funke” in LA trained. I did a three week course there and then we stayed an extra week bc we love it there so much! More on our honeymoon and BOLOGNA later.

With all of this running through my mind, and feeling helpless with my kitchen skills at the moment. I made my way off the couch on my trusty scooter (not digging the crutches) into the kitchen and Parker propped me up onto a chair in front of the center island. I asked him to pull some items for me to make an appetizer plate. A sweet salty contrast that defines so much of Italian cuisine. My freshly grown cantaloupe cut into juicy, orange wedges that brings a bright, floral sweetness and a cool (I had him put it in the fridge for a couple of hours)refreshing juiciness that practically bursts on the palate. Draped alongside each piece is thin, translucent prosciutto its delicate saltiness and buttery texture melting in your mouth. Nestled among them shards of Parmesan Reggiano shaved into rough crystalline flakes that add a nutty, umami depth and satisfying crumble. A small drizzle of well aged balsamic reduction adds a tangy sweet acidity that ties it all together. Effortless, but tastes perfectly balanced, every bite a little bit different. Gone in a flash!

Not sure when we will make it back to Italy, but for now this is enough. xo

"Eat well, laugh often, love much." (Mangia bene, ridi spesso, ama molto)

DAY ONE:

I made it out of surgery. Thank god that is over. It’s all kind of a blur but I do remember the kindness everyone showed me upon arrival and departure. Parker was with me waiting patiently. My left foot (I guess I should watch that movie while I’m recovering) is on its way. Joint fusion in my big toe, bunion removal, pin in my second toe, shortening of my second and third toe. BONUS…no pin necessary in my third toe. Grateful for the small miracles. They wheeled me out to the car and Parker and I drove to our temporary destination to recover. They gave me an ankle block so I was feeling pretty, pretty good. Bandaged and fitted with a large boot for the next 6-8 weeks minimum, I made it to the couch with crutches not very gracefully. This will be my bed for a while. I lay on the couch for what seems like eternity, I keep my foot elevated and continue to ice on, ice off. I can’t sleep but I’m comfortable.

DAY TWO:

Since I was a kid I have always loved television. My brother Michael and I used to fight over what to watch and usually he would win. He loved “Star Trek”. To this day, I can’t look at a Vulcan. Anyway, I think I’m in charge of the remote and this is a plus. The block is wearing off and I have started the pain management. So far it’s been tolerable but not very comfortable.

It’s interesting, I thought only my foot would hurt. But my head, throat, shoulders and knees feel bruised. When I spoke to the surgeons assistant today she said I had a tube in my throat and whatever else they needed to secure me. Moving me from the gurney to the bed etc must have caused some bumps here and there.

DAY THREE:

I think I slept a total of 45 minutes last night. The pain is intense. It’s quite “spicy” as my friend Traci described from her experience. The meds are not combating the pain although without them I am sure it would be impossible. I know everyday will get better so I am trying to keep my spirits up. The day before my surgery, we harvested our first ears of corn. Hallelujah! What joy. We didn’t have time to cook anything before my surgery so we brought them with us with some of our San Marzano tomatoes and Italian basil from the garden as well. This is my first time growing corn. It has been so fun. My neighbors in the garden Chris and Chad are also growing corn and it’s been a bit of a competition. Mine grew the tallest but everyone’s are at least 6-7 feet tall. Chad and I used starter plants and Chris started from seed. I tell you this b/c he wants everyone to know that. I learned that the silk that grows out of the corn represents a potential kernel. Fascinating. When the silks turn black and shrivel up you can put a close pin on the end to keep worms out. Well, I peeled back the husk from my first ear of corn and it was a beauty!!!!! I’m obviously not up to cooking yet but I have my trusty sous-chef on call. Before my surgery, I meal prepped homemade chicken soup, beef chili, white chicken chili, turkey chili, bone broth, chicken quesadilla mix and breaded chicken cutlets. I froze everything so we would have healthy high protein options. Parker pan fried the chicken cutlets and I instructed him from the couch on sautéing the corn and tomatoes together gently with extra virgin olive oil, Maldon sea salt, black pepper, chopped basil and a touch of balsamic vinegar. He’s a good student. He served me the corn mixture over the chicken cutlet. It was delish. We ate it so fast I forgot to take a picture. Next time.

DAY FOUR:

No sleep for the weary! I am doing my best. So many friends checking in which is lovely. Watching a lot of “BritBox”, reading “The Correspondent” a gift from my dear friend Kate and of course elevating and icing. Stay tuned.

“Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life. -Omar Khayyam

I won’t be able to remain at home post surgery. We have lots of steps in our house (36 to be exact). Not convenient when you’re on crutches for 6-8 weeks. We will get to my cookbooks later.

I live at the beach in Los Angeles. I also live on the canals where we have amazing wildlife. Fish, egrets, hawks, ducks, geese, crows, owls, peahens, squirrels, possums and the list goes on. It’s pretty amazing to live in such a large city and have the ocean, the mountains, the canals and my beloved garden within steps of my front door. For a while we had a row boat and Parker used to serenade me in Italian(barely) along the banks of the canals like we were in Venice, Italy. Unfortunately, a homeless person set our boat on fire and we no longer have it. Yes, we have a terrible homeless problem here among the beauty.

I was on the wait list for the community garden in my neighborhood. I finally got a plot about a year and a half ago. I was working full time as a private chef and caterer and didn’t have that much free time on my hands. Parker immediately declared that he did not want to be part of my new hobby. He said and I quote, “Don’t ask me to water, weed or attend the required garden meetings”. I assured him that it was all me and I was off to the races.

Let’s just say I became obsessed. Garden gloves, sun hat, “Joyce Chen” scissors and a shed full of tools I started turning the soil, pulling weeds and planning out my strategy. I fixed the existing box the previous gardener had put in place, bought new soil and started planting. It really is an amazing thing to put a seed in the ground or a starter plant and watch the magic happen. I found myself running to the garden before or after work to track the progress.

I spent most of my free time there and after a couple of weeks I noticed Parker would show up. “Hey, whatcha doin”? He missed me. It was sweet and I am grateful. But there was only one thing to do, I bought him a pair of garden gloves and said why don’t you help me. Slowly but surely he started casually weeding, watering, wrapping up hoses, helping me create stone paths and just like that he was hooked. It’s so nice to reap the benefits of your hard work and share your harvest with friends and family. As a working chef, I was able to spread the love to my clients and they were so grateful.

After about one year, I was eligible to get another plot. I started the process over again and took it up a notch. I went to home depot and bought some pavers. I created a patio and bought an outdoor bistro table and chairs with a matching umbrella. Now we could actually sit and relax, take a load off and the garden started to become way more social. Now, at sunset we have wine and trade the fruits of our labor. Exchange gardening tips and seeds. It’s so much fun. We sing and laugh as Scott plays his acoustic guitar and I strum along. There are bongos and a ukulele and it all sounds so hippy-dippy. Maybe, but it’s magical.

THIS IS WHAT I AM CURRENTLY GROWING:

Italian basil, cilantro, oregano, thyme, rosemary, lemon balm mint, spearmint, dill, chive, garlic, yellow onions, celery, carrots, bell peppers, Serrano peppers, habanero peppers, Thai chili peppers, runner beans, french beans, Romano beans, edamame, Persian cucumbers, pickling cucumbers, San Marzano tomatoes, 3 different kinds of cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas, english peas, red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, baby romaine, mesclun mix, curly kale, blueberries, black raspberries, strawberries, 2 types of watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, CORN!!!! (It’s over 8ft tall), tons of flowers including French marigolds, cosmos, lavender, red roses, yellow roses and POPPIES!!! I’m probably forgetting something but you get the gist. I’m not taking this lightly

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So, this will be hard. I have put so much sweat and tears into my plots. Parker will come back and harvest. I have 2 fellow gardeners, Kate and Stella tending to my plots. They are rockstars and I trust them with it all. But I am sad. When I return things will have changed. Things will have been picked and it will be time to plant for the fall. I too will be changed. Hopefully back to myself. Able to do all of things I couldn’t do with my injury. But this is life. Change is good. xo

It was a Thursday and I had a catering job booked for Saturday. Thirty guests, counting on me to deliver a delicious birthday dinner. I told Parker my husband, let’s just get the shopping done and I will tend to my injury later. We had one of those boots for foot injuries in the house that look like a ski boot. I put it on and off we went. We tried to secure a motorized wheelchair but they were all taken. We found a flatbed hand truck and I proceeded to sit on it, my back leaning against a case of “Bounty” paper towels and I started to point to all of the items I needed for the party. Customers were laughing at the absurdity of it all while cheering us on. I felt like queen for a day, waving my hand at women and children. It was quite a site.

I prepped what I could and worked through the pain. The next morning I woke up and knew I had to go to urgent care. The first thing the attending physician said was “Oh, that’s not good”! Really? They gave me an MRI and told me I dislocated my second toe, broke my third toe and chipped a bone in my foot. A fresh boot, crutches and a long recovery with no surgery needed was my diagnosis.

Here is my menu:

I catered the party on crutches, pointing and hobbling around the kitchen with my trusty sous-chefs helping me through a very challenging situation. The party went off without a hitch. Sympathy and applause. I’ll take it, cancelling was not an option.

Fast forward to January 2026, my second toe is not healing correctly and I am told I need surgery. I need to remove my bunion, get pins in my second and third toes, shorten those two toes and fuse the joint in my big toe. This is not what a chef wants to hear. My hands and feet are my livelihood. I put my surgery off and spent months at rehabilitation working through the pain. 10-12 hour days cooking with a bum foot was not for the faint of heart.

It’s now July and I am taking the plunge. My recovery is long and probably pretty painful. Eight to ten weeks on crutches with no weight on my left foot. This will be the longest time I have ever had a break from professional cooking since 1995 when I graduated from The French Culinary Institute in New York City.

What’s a girl to do?

Well, I thought I would start a Substack and share my culinary trials, tribulations and triumphs. Recipes, gardening tips and maybe some of my favorite “can’t live without tools” of the trade. I’m excited to hear from you and hope sharing my stories will motivate you to look at cooking through my eyes.

But, in the end all I really wanted was a delicious BLT with juicy tomatoes, red leaf lettuce, basil and a Serrano aioli from my garden…Stay tuned. xo